Cistern.



No. 737,859. PATBNTED SEPT. 1, 1903..

J. NELSN.

CISTERN.

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UNTTED STATES atented September 1, 193.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO` ILLINOIS MALLEABLE IRONCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,859, datedSeptember 1, 1903;

Application filed March l, 1901. Serial No. 49,527. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN NELSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cisterns,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cisterns for waterclosets and the like, but moreparticularly to the valve mechanism for effectin ga discharge of waterfrom the cistern for the purpose of flushing the bowl; and its Objectisto provide simple, efficient, and reliable valve mechanism of that typeknown as seat-operated valves in which the valve mechanism isautomatically operated by the seat of the watercloset.

In the drawings, Figurel is a section of the cistern, taken on line A Bof Fig. '2, the water-closet bowl and connection being shown inelevation; Fig. 2, an elevation of the parts within the cistern, thefront side of such cistern being removed;v Fig. 3, a plan view of thecistern; Fig. 4, an elevation of the valve and parts immediatelycooperating therewith and showing the catch in set position ready toopen the valve as soon as permitted by the seat; and Fig. 5 an elevationof the Valve, showing the same as opened by the catch device and duringthe period of discharge of Water from the cistern.

The cistern 1, which may be either of the low-down type, as hereinshown, lor of the high-up type, has a bottom opening through whichextends a nozzle 2, secured therein by the usual couplings, and havingat its upper end a valve-seat 3, on which seats the valve 4. This valvepreferably has at its periphery a seat proper of rubber or othersuitable material. Two arms or standards 5 rise from this nozzle and areconnected together at their top by a cross-bar 6, having acentral hole 7to receive and guide a sleeve or plunger 8. The valve has a stem 9,received by the bore of the sleeve, and thereby also guided, and,further, has a truncated conical portion or enlargement 10, forming ashoulder 11 for the catch. As shown, this enlargement and stem arepreferably integral with thel valve-body itself. The valve-stem ispreferably flattened on one or more sides to permit the air Within thesleeve to escape when such sleeve is deL pressed.

The catch mechanism herein illustrated is an example of what may beemployed for the purpose desired, and the same comprises a ring l2,having a screw-threaded socket-piece 13 at one side to receive the stem14 of a ballfloat 15, which is normally submerged. At the side oppositethe socket-piece the ring has a hook 16, pivoted at the end of laterallugs 17 at the lower end of the sleeve and having a curved lower end 1S,adapted to engage the shoulder- 1l under certain conditions, ashereinafter set forth. The valve may have a depending stem guided by asuitable guide 19, arranged in the nozzle. (See Fig. rl.)

V To operate the valve mechanism and the catch by means of the seat ofthe water-closet, the following instrumentalities may be employed asbeing suitable aud preferable for this purpose: A rod 2O is screwed intoor othwise secured to the sleeve 8 and is pivotally connected at itsupper end to the end of a lever 21, which is pivoted to a fulcrum-rod22. The other end of this lever has pivotally connected to it the lowerend of a vertical rod 23, whose upper end isin connection with avertical operating-rod 24. This rod 24 works in a barrel 25 or cylinder,which extends through the bottom of the cistern and contains a spiralspring 26, bearing against an adjusting-nut 27, screwing on the lowerend of such rod 24. A cap or thimble 28 screws on the end of the rod 24and receives the thrust of the seat mechanism, as hereinafter described.The barrel or cylinder 25 also forms a support for the fulcrurn-rod 22,which is attached thereto by a collar 29.

The nozzle 2 from the cistern connects with the water-discharge pipe 30,communicating with any suitable bowl 31 of a water-closet and having aseat 32 normally held in slightlyraised position, as shown in Fig. 1, bymeans of the downward pressure of the rod 24 on the end of a lever 33,secured to the seat and extending beyond the pi vot thereof. cock 34 andthe after-fill pipe 35, emptying into the overiiow-pipe 36, being sowell known do not require any detailed description.

Assuming that the cistern is filled with water to the normal level andthe parts are in IOO their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, theoperation is as follows: When the seat is depressed by occupationthereof, the rod 24 is forced upward against the tension of its springby reason of the upward thrust of the seatlever, and the movement iscommunicated through the rods and levers described, so that the sleeve 8will be depressed, such sleeve sliding upon the stem 9. The pivotalpoint of the catch device will consequently be depressed or carrieddownward, and when the sleeve is depressed to its limit the hooked end1S will engage under the shoulder 11, inasmuch as the buoyant effect ofthe small `float 15 is to bring such end toward the central axis of thevalve. The catch remains thus in engagement with the valve so long asthe sleeve is in depressed position-that is, so long as the seat isoccupied. When, however, the seat is now vacated, the tension of thespring 26 will restore the parts to normal position, thereby raising thesleeve and also opening the valve, because such valve and sleeve areconnected together by the catch. The cistern will now be drained ofwater for flushing the bowl, and the discharge-valve will remain in itsraised or open position until vthe Water in the cistern has so farreceded as to carry the small oat 15 downward with it, thereby releasingthe hook or catch from t-he shoulder 11 and permitting the valve toclose by gravity. The tank will thereupon be filled with water by theball-cock in the usual inanner, and the cistern will be ready for thenext operation.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the catch mechanism isset or put into engagement with the valve at the moment when the seat isoccupied and that the restoration of the parts to normal position whenthe seat is vacated causes the catch mechanism to elevate and open thevalve, which is thereafter released and permitted to close at the propertime-that is, when the water has been substantially drained from thecistern. WhileIhave herein shown my invention as applied to a cistern ofthe low-down type, yet it is obvious that` the same is applicable to thehigh-up or overhead type, the only changes being the lengthening of thedischarge-pipe 30 and of the rod 24, rendered necessary by the elevationof the valve mechanism. Furthermore, while I prefer to use a spring forthe purpose of applying tension on the rod 24, yet it is evident thatits equivalent, a weight, might be substituted. The spring, however, ispreferred, particularly because ot' compactness and capability ofadjustment in tension.

The construction and operation of my device is such that in case theweight of the 0ccupant is momentarily withdrawn, either purposely oraccidentally, so as to open the valve, apartialflushwill occur,inasmuchasthe valve after being thus opened will be closed again immediatelyupon the reoccupation of the seat. It is apparent, therefore, that whenthe valve is opened it will stay open and drain the cistern only in casethe bowl-seat remains in its normal partially-raised position, and thatconsequently the valve is to this extent controlled by the occupant.

I claim- 1. In a tank or cistern forwater-closets and the like, thecombination, with the tank, of a discharge-Valve therein, avertically-movable and normally upwardly pressed catch arranged in thetank and when depressed adapted to engage the valve while closed but notto open the sameat that time, seat-controlled mechanism cooperating withsaid catch to depress it when the seat is occupied and to permit thecatch to rise and the engaged valve to open when the seat becomesunoccupied, a s-ubmergible float at all times connected with said catchand arranged to positively move the same laterally of the Valve, bothinto and out of engagement with such valve, and suitable water-supplymechanism separate and independent, both in structure and operation,from said float.

2. In a tank or cistern for water-closets and the like, the combination,with the tank, of a discharge-valve located at the bottom of the tankand provided with a vertical stem, a normally upwardlypressed andverticallymovable catch device comprising a sleeve or plunger 8 movablevertically and axially upon the valve-stem and guided thereby, and adepending pvoted hook arranged to engage the valve While closed butwithout eifecting the opening thereof at such time, seat-controlledmechanism cooperating with said catch device to depress the same whenthe seat is occupied, to permit the hook to engage the valve and, whenthe seat becomes unoccupied, to permit the catch device to rise and openthe engaged valve, a submergible float connected directly to said hookfor swinging the latter both into and out of engagement with the valve,and suitable water-supply mechanism automatically controlled by a floatwhich is separate and independent of the iirst-named fioat.

3. In a tank or cistern for water-closets and the like, the combinationof a vertically-movable discharge-valve of the pull type which isarranged near the bottom of the tank and is provided with a rigidvertical stem having a circumferential shoulder, a vertically-movablecatch also arranged near the bottom of the tank and adjacent the valve,means actuated by the closet-seat for depressing the catch, a iioatconnecteddirectly to the catch and adapted to actuate it positively bothtoward and away from the valve-stein to permit engagement anddisengagement of such catch and said shoulder, suitable water-inletmechanism for said tank and a second Iioat adapted to control saidmechanism and arranged to operate independently of the rst float and itscatch.

4;. In a tank or cistern for water-closets and the like, the combinationwith a water-closet,

IIO

its movable seat and the tank and the water connections, of adischarge-valve of the pull type and adapted to be moved vertically, arigid stem projecting vertically upward from said valve, a catch devicepivoted near the bottom of the tank adjacent the valve and adapted toengage and lift such valve, a vertically-movable sleeve telescoping withthe stern and connected at its lower end to said catch device andadapted to put such device into engagement with the valve, andtensionprovided seat-controlled mechanism connected to and reciprocatingsuch sleeve.

5. In a cistern, the combination, with a cistern and its discharge-valveof the pull type having a rigid stein, of a reciprocating sleeve,movable axially of such stem and provided with a bore to receive theupper end of such stem,said sleeve and stem telescoping, a catch devicepivoted to the sleeve at one side of the stem and adapted to engage thevalve when the sleeve is depressed.

6. In a cistern, the combination with the cistern and itsdischarge-valve having a rigid vertical stem 9, a verticallyreciprocating sleeve 8 provided with a bore to receive such stem andhaving a lateral lug 17 at its lower end, said sleeve and stemtelescoping, a catch device having a hook portion 16 pivoted at itsupper end to said lug and adapted to engage the valve with its otherend, and a oat operatively connected to said hook portion.

7. In an automatic water-closet, a cistern having water supplymechanism, its discharge-valve having a rigid vertical stem 9 a sleeve Sprovided with a closed bore in which such stem slides and telescopes andhaving a lateral lug 17 at its lower end, a catch device having adownwardly-extending hook portion 16 pivoted at its upper end to saidlug and adapted to engage the valve with its other end when the sleeveis depressed, a float independent of the water-supplymechanism foroperating the catch device, in combination with the bowl, its removableseat having a lever, water connections between the cistern and bowl, aspring-pressed rod 24 movable against its tension by the said seat-leverwhen the seat is occupied and a connection between said rod and thesleeve to set the catch device in engagement with the valve to open itwhen the rod is relieved by the vacating of the seats.

8. In an automatic water-closet, a cistern, its discharge-valve, areciprocating sleeve S, catch mechanism carried by the sleeve at itslower end and adapted to be put into engagement with the valve when thesleeve is dcpressed, in combination with the bowl, its movable seatprovided with a lever, a springpressed rod 24 adapted to be movedagainst its tension by the seat-lever, and a lever 2l pivoted in thecistern and having one arm inv connection with the rod 24 and its otherarm with the sleeve.

9. The combination with a tank 1 having a discharge-passage 2, a valve 4adapted to govern said passage and provided with a stem 9, standards 5having a cross-bar 6 arranged in the tank above the valve, saidcross-bar having a central guiding-opening 7, a sleeve 8 passing throughsaid opening and receiving the upper end of the valve-stem, a catch 16`pivoted to the lower end of the sleeve at a point below said cross-barand adapted to engage the valve-stein, and suitable water-inletmechanism.

l0. The combination, with a tank or cistern, of a discharge-valve havinga stem, a reciprocating sleeve, movable axially of such stem andprovided with a bore to receive the upper end of such stem, means forpreventing the trapping of' air in such bore, and a catch devicearranged on the sleeve to engage the valve-stem when such sleeve isdepressed.

1l. The combination, with a tank or cistern, of a discharge-valve havinga stem, a reciprocating sleeve, vmovable axially of such stem andprovided with a bore to receive the upper end of such stem, said stembeing flattened to prevent trapping of airin said bore, and a catchdevice arranged on the sleeve to engage the valve-stem when such sleeveis depressed.

JOHN NELSON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL E. HIBBEN, JOHN H. BERKSTRESSER.

